Gulls In the City

Against the backdrop of urban life, the city is abuzz with the chatter of gulls. Drawn to water and eager to find a delicious meal, the seagulls circle over the water and glide down effortlessly to perch themselves among the rooftops, waiting for sings of their next meal. All the while, keeping up a continuous chatter with one another.

Gulls or seagulls are seabirds of the family Laridae in the sub-order Lari. They are most closely related to the terns (family Sternidae) and only distantly related to auks, skimmers, and more distantly to the waders. Gulls are typically medium to large birds, usually grey or white, often with black markings on the head or wings. They typically have harsh wailing or squawking calls, stout, longish bills, and webbed feet. Most gulls, particularly Larus species, are ground-nesting carnivores, which will take live food or scavengeopportunistically. Live food often includes crabs and small fish. Gulls have unhinging jaws which allow them to consume large prey. Apart from the kittiwakes, gulls are typically coastal or inland species, rarely venturing far out to sea.